Remnant of the Magatsu World
by Captain Bell
Summary: Adachi warns that humanity will be turned into Shadows by the end of the year. When the Investigation Team overestimates how much time they have left the world pays the price, but humans still refuse to let things end the way Izanami has designed. Eight teenagers with the power of Persona will now find themselves in the remnant of the calamity with one mystery left to solve.
1. New World's Eve

**Author's Notes**

 **Hello, I'm Captain Bell and I'd like to thank you for looking at my story.**

 **This is not my first submission to the site, but this story is actually the oldest of the crossover ideas that I've been plotting out in my head since before I decided to actually write and release them. That makes this the oldest story I've worked on here and my original inspiration to write fanfiction seriously again, so I hope that it is well received.**

 **I have included a suggested soundtrack within the story. These are songs that I was either thinking of or listening to while writing and editing those sections of the chapter. You should feel free to ignore them or to substitute your own preferred reading music, of course, but if you are interested in following mine then you can find any suggestions I make under the names provided. Just play them on loop until it suggests a new piece or says End Track and you will have the intended soundtrack.**

 **Traditional disclaimer: I do not own the Persona series or RWBY.**

 **With the introduction out of the way, let us begin.**

* * *

 **REMNANT OF THE MAGATSU WORLD**

* * *

 **Chapter One: New World's Eve**

* * *

 **[Persona 4 OST: Omen]**

Christmas Eve. A day of celebration in almost any other year is simply a day of rest for the Investigation Team. A single day to catch their breaths, appreciate their loved ones, and prepare for their final battle with Tohru Adachi.

Yu Narukami lethargically ascends the stairs of his uncle's home. The silver-haired seventeen year-old is still not used to the emptiness of the house despite Ryotaro and Nanako being in the hospital for a while now. Yu may have come to the small town of Inaba as a fairly closed-off individual due to his school transfer, but he is now a man who appreciates and relies on his connections with others. Being separated is more painful for the high school student than before, but he also now believes this is the only way to live life to the fullest.

Christmas Eve is traditionally a romantic day for couples to spend together in Japan, but Yu suspects that none of his teammates would indulge in that today even if they had partners to do so with. Yu couldn't spend today with his unusual lover even if he wanted to since her ability to exist in the same world as him is unreliable. The tension in the air is too much of a distraction for romance to occur, anyway.

Yu recalls that yesterday had been especially tough. The Investigation Team finally battled their way to the end of Magatsu Inaba, the region of the world created by human hearts that Adachi now occupies and has warped to his own design. The man who murdered through supernatural means and the manipulation of proxies gained unusual control of the realm when he entered it, which made the traversal of his lands all the more twisted. A deadly battle with a powerful Shadow called a Reaper earlier that same day exhausted the group. When the team realized they had secured the route to their target, Yu called an end to the day's journey to rest and recover for the final battle.

Adachi warned the students that by the end of the year the world they accessed by using television sets as portals would contaminate their reality with its fog and turn everyone into Shadows, existences devoid of curiosity and ignorant of others. There are only a few days left until the end of December, but the group was relieved to make it to the dirty cop with almost a week to spare. Since Christmas Eve is a holiday anyway, Yu decided to order the team to take the day off to enjoy themselves as best they could, so they will have no regrets for what is to come.

Yu's musings on the past few days ends and his mind returns to the present. Despite his words at the time, the leader finds he can do little today but rest and think through strategies for tomorrow. Enjoying himself will have to wait until after the team captures Adachi.

Yu closes the door of his room behind him and takes a deep breath. Only the ticks of a clock pierce the teen's senses when he closes his eyes to settle his nerves. Dressed in just a white long-sleeved shirt and dark pants, the boy is ready to go to bed early. When Yu's grey eyes open, however, he is surprised by how little he can see. The young man's work desk and assorted supplies, his old TV set, his shelves filled with figurines and completed models, his collection of books, and even his futon are all obscured. The inside of Yu's room is filled with fog.

 _'When did it get inside the house?'_ Yu wonders. Only now does the boy realize how unusually cold the temperature feels. Yu turns to his window and pulls the curtain aside to see if he has left it ajar, and is shocked to see a completely opaque wall of white obscures his visibility. The fog outside is impenetrable.

Yu shoves the curtain back into place and turns away from the wall. It is an act of denial.

 _'It must be a sign of time running out,'_ the leader tries to reason. _'Tomorrow we'll-'_

A sharp screech-like sound and a flash of white in Yu's vision bring a wave of dizziness to him. The teen grabs his head and shakes it to clear his thoughts. The fog in the TV World has the nasty side effect of giving people headaches if they don't have special lenses to see through it, and this feels similar to that.

The ring of Yu's phone acts as a beacon for his thoughts. The boy focuses on the sound and drives back the disorientation that had come over him. As Yu pulls the phone from his pocket and flips it open, he sees Naoto Shirogane listed as the Caller ID.

 _'She must have noticed the increased fog as well,'_ Yu thinks as he answers the call.

Before Yu can even say a word, Naoto's voice shouts from the other end of the line.

"Th-The entire town... It's filled with Shadows... I can't...!"

Yu's eyes widen. Naoto is almost never panicked, even in battle. The younger girl isn't even trying to hide the feminine tone from her voice like she usually does.

"A-Aaaaaagh!"

The line dies as Naoto screams. Yu is left alone with only the steady ticks of the clock once more.

Yu drops the phone to the floor when his fingers cease to work. The boy's head and arms all fall limp in shock.

 _'This is my fault.'_

Adachi is the criminal the Investigation Team was formed to catch, but Yu was influenced by the strange friendship the two had built up over his year in Inaba before he discovered the truth. Yu had even gone alone to see his uncle's partner in the TV World prior to the team's first exploration of Magatsu Inaba. Yu could have easily been killed if Adachi hadn't decided to spare him for the sake of fun. This disaster is another result of that twisted bond.

 _'I believed him,'_ Yu thinks as a cold fear begins to set into his spine. _'When he said the world would be engulfed in fog by the end of the year, I... I took him at his word to mean we had until then. We only had until Christmas Eve. I'm sorry, everyone.'_

Yu wonders if Adachi fooled him into failing without even meaning to, but then he is distracted by another sudden wave of disorientation. It feels like a physical assault on the boy's mind, as if cold soup were dumped into his thoughts and he was left to slosh around in the mess in search of coherence. Yu holds his head again, but is unable to keep his balance this time. The teen feels extremely dizzy and falls to one knee, barely keeping his upper body off the floor. The boy opens his eyes but the fog seems to shine in front of him and his vision is completely overtaken with white light.

Yu loses control of his body and a familiar sensation overtakes him as his mind drifts outside of reality.

* * *

 **Reach Out to the Truth**

* * *

 **[Persona 4 OST: The Poem for Everyone's Souls]**

When Yu's vision returns he is in a familiar, if unusual, setting.

The teen sits inside the back of an expensive limousine, the driver's seat hidden behind the wall directly in front of him. The vehicle's elaborate decorations are dominated by rich blues, and its windows show only the sea of fog that it passes through. Due to that fog, one can only be sure the limo is in motion because of the gentle sense of vibration. This is a place between dreams and reality, mind and matter, where a Wild Card like Yu is able to focus and manipulate the properties of his only weapon against the Shadows: his Personas.

This is the Velvet Room.

"Are you awake?"

The speaker is Igor, the room's master, who sits behind a small desk across from Yu and wears a black suit like a butler's. The man's soft and gentle voice is not congruent with his hunched, elderly appearance. Igor's unnaturally-large pointed nose and bloodshot eyes, which always seem to be bulging out of his head, are more indications of his inhuman nature. Despite those worrisome traits, Igor is only ever eager to help as much as he is allowed.

"The mystery has deepened... and the fog has grown much thicker."

Yu finds that he can't speak because of his shame. The boy knows what Igor alludes to. The man's prophecy at the start of the year was that Yu must solve a mystery or be set upon by calamity. Even if the Investigation Team has identified Adachi as Inaba's serial murderer, the case can hardly be considered solved without the culprit's capture.

Yu's attention drifts to Margaret, who sits on the wall seat to Igor's left. The Velvet Room attendant, garbed in her blue dress uniform and holding her purple Le Grimoire book closed on her lap, stares directly back at the young man with a strict golden gaze. There is no judgment in the platinum blonde's expression, but Yu can't help but feel that he has let the woman down. Margaret helped Yu train his ability to create Personas, after all, so for him to lose without the chance to utilize them against his final foe must have been a disappointment.

"It has become too dangerous to continue driving," Igor announces gently, but with grim finality.

Grey eyes widen. If Igor's statement means what Yu thinks it means, then the Velvet Room will cease its aid from this point forward. If that guess is true, then what will that mean for Marie? That girl's weak existence is only stabilized by the room's assistance. Yu still isn't sure what exactly the girl he loves really is, she certainly isn't human, but he does know that without the Velvet Room's otherworldly power she might just disappear. The teen immediately turns his gaze to the pale girl with chin-length dark hair who sits on the same velvet cushioned sofa as Igor, to the old man's right.

Marie doesn't meet Yu's gaze. The amnesiac girl's blue cap nearly covers her bright green eyes entirely due to the forward tilt of her head. Marie just stares silently at the floor between her and her lover. The girl is still wearing the same white shirt and black tie with red plaid skirt, striped leggings and tall black boots that she always does, her bag strap is even still slung over her right shoulder. Why then, Yu wonders, does Marie appear so different than usual? It isn't simply that the girl won't look at the boy. Marie seems unnaturally distracted, especially given the situation at hand.

Yu can't help but think he would be able to figure out what was wrong if he could only see her eyes. Before he can, Igor interrupts again.

"Whether you end your journey here, or retrace your steps some ways..."

 _'End it here? Retrace my steps?'_

How could Yu do either of those things? The boy can't possibly give up, but it isn't as if he can just go back in time to try again either.

"The time has come to make a decision."

 _'A decision? There's only one decision to make.'_

The scene before Yu grows dark. How it feels to have one's mind shifted across realities begins to set in. The boy detects some uncertainty in the pull this time, as if the forces that move him are unsure where he should go next.

Was this the decision Igor spoke of? Will Yu's mind be flung somewhere else depending on his resolve? Will the young man leave everyone else behind to their fates?

 _'Nanako!'_

Yu's right fist loudly slams into the back wall of the Velvet room.

"I'll fight!"

The darkness lifts and Yu's vision clears. Igor remains as unfazed as ever, but Margaret actually expresses surprise at the outburst and blinks owlishly at him.

Marie jumps at the noise of the slam and raises her head instinctively. Yu seizes the chance to lock eyes with the girl. It lasts only a few moments, but Marie's wide-eyed stare is enough to assure her love that she's still herself. Whatever troubles the girl, beyond Yu's failure to prevent this disaster, hasn't completely broken her, which is some comfort.

"Your opportunity to fight has passed," Igor points out, his relaxed tone unchanged. "To do so now will require-"

"I won't give up," Yu interrupts. The boy still holds his fist against the wall behind him. Igor often has important things to say, so the Wild Card has never interrupted him before, but this is different. Yu can still feel the forces of the room pull upon his consciousness. If the young man relaxes for even a moment he isn't sure where his mind will end up. "And neither will my friends. Naoto didn't turn into a Shadow, so I know they're all still alive. I believe in them."

Igor seems to ponder this response. Both of the room's female residents begin to look to the older man as if they are completely lost. Yu doesn't know if that's a bad sign or not, but he can't do anything but move forward so he speaks again.

"Send me back. That's my decision. We'll still find a way to solve this mystery and save the world."

Silence follows. Yu feels the pressure on his mind drop, so he relaxes enough to lower his hand back to his side. The teen can't break his gaze with Igor's bloodshot eyes, though, for fear of losing his nerve. The Velvet Room might offer Yu a way out of this dire situation, but the leader can't consider a decision to abandon the the rest of the Investigation Team or his other close bonds to be a valid option.

The next few seconds are some of the longest in Yu's life.

"Very well."

With Igor's approval, Yu can feel a great tension in the air being released. Both Margaret and Marie look surprised.

"You are our guest, after all. It would be rude to deny such a simple request," the man continues. Igor shifts his hands so that which one is held on top of the other in front of him is switched. This is the closest thing the entity has to a tell, and Yu guesses it means he's managed to surprise his patron. "Even if we can no longer continue with you from here, only you can determine where your own journey ends."

The scene before Yu grows dark again, but this time he knows exactly where he will end up. As the Wild Card returns to the physical world, Igor's final words reach out to him in the darkness.

"Even with this result... you were truly a remarkable guest."

* * *

 **Reach Out to the Truth**

* * *

 **[Persona 4 OST: I'll Face Myself - 2nd Version]**

Yu snaps back to consciousness in his room, still propped up on one knee. With a fresh surge of strength the teen grabs his phone and forces himself back to his feet. The leader of the Investigation Team has work to do and he refuses to waste any more time.

Even amid the fog in his room, Yu easily finds the drawer of his desk where his special glasses are kept. Once the grey-rimmed eye wear is slipped on it makes it easier for the boy to perceive his room, but he knows to go outside where the fog is thicker means visibility will be poor for him. Inside the house the effect is at least enough for Yu to use his phone's keypad more easily.

 _'I need to get us all together,'_ Yu reasons. The boy walks over to his old CRT television and reaches a hand out to it. _'If we can still enter the other side then we might still be able to find Adachi there.'_

Yu's hopes are dashed when his hand presses against cool glass. The teen stares at the screen with his hand on it for a moment. Yu realizes that it has been a long time since he could actually touch a television normally like this.

 _'If that world is gone then Adachi must be here. Anything he knows might help us fix this, but we have to catch him first.'_

His decision made, Yu fishes out the Blade of Totsuka from the suitcase stuffed behind his desk. The long two-handed sword has a stark white double-edged blade and a vertical ring decoration that connects that to its hilt. The weapon was dropped in the TV World by the Reaper the team slew yesterday, and proved itself extremely effective against Shadows. As usual, Teddie immediately knew the sword's name without remembering why he knew it, just as the Shadow-turned-human had for every other item found in that world. Yu realizes he has no need to conceal the weapon on his person now since the fog will do that for him, even if there probably aren't any witnesses to worry about.

Yu also fishes out the surcoat the local blacksmith Daidara crafted out of diamond sheets last week. The team brought the rare material back from the remains of defeated Shadows in Adachi's Magatsu Mandala section of the TV World. Daidara never asks questions about the materials the team bring him, and his work has been a godsend for the group's survival. Normally the grey, diamond-studded robe would be worn under Yu's school uniform to hide it, but now the boy simply throws the sleeveless knight's garb over his white shirt. There is no reason to conceal anything.

Finally, Yu locates and slips on a bead ring. The teen's younger cousin Nanako gave the accessory to him as a gift for having the top grades in his class earlier in the year. The elementary school girl lies in a hospital bed right now because of Adachi's manipulation of Taro Namatame, who he tricked to believe the TV World could save people when in actuality it kills them. Some people may have turned into Shadows, but Yu is certain that Nanako remains human, and the same goes for his uncle Dojima. Both are too strong to give in to this twisted fog. Yu takes the ring as a good luck charm, and to remind himself of what he still has to fight for.

While Yu arms and armors himself the teen also slowly punches in a text to everyone else in the Investigation Team. If any of the teenagers get it they will head for their special headquarters in the Junes food court to meet up. With that done, Yu grabs the bag of supplies the team intended to take to fight Adachi with tomorrow and heads out into the ongoing calamity.

The Investigation Team is separated right now, but Yu has faith they will all make it back together. Afterwards, the team will find a way to make things right.

* * *

 **Chapter End**

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

 **So ends the first part of the introduction to** ** _Remnant of the Magatsu World_** **. Expect a few more entries in this opening arc before the crossover phase begins.** **I hope you will look forward to the next installment.**

 **Sincerely,**

 **Captain Bell**


	2. Unsolved Mystery

**Author's Notes**

 **Hello, welcome to the second installment of** ** _Remnant of the Magatsu World_** **.**

 **I wrote about half of this chapter before I realized how unreasonably long the introduction would be if I didn't split it up into smaller pieces. I am able to update the story relatively quickly because of that, at least.**

 **Let us begin.**

* * *

 **Chapter Two: Unsolved Mystery**

* * *

 **[Persona 4 OST: Mayonaka TV]**

Naoto Shirogane leans her back against the alley wall and breathes a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Chie-senpai. I was almost done for."

The Detective Prince pats at her dark blue cardigan coat, looking for damage. Fortunately, the girl managed to make it though unscathed.

"No problem, Naoto-kun," the brown-haired savior replies.

The girl in the light green jacket looks out into the street, still somewhat in awe at herself. Chie Satonaka and Yukiko Amagi had been out trying to relax together on their last day before the battle with Adachi. When the duo spotted their junior about to be crushed by a Shadow, after following Naoto's screams, the short-haired girl had sprung into action and kicked the nearly shapeless blob of darkness as hard as she could. To her surprise, Chie had sent the creature flying across the street. The three girls had retreated immediately after.

"How did you do that, Chie?" Yukiko asks. The girl in the red dress fusses over Naoto but the younger girl waves her off.

"I don't know. It was like I could feel Suzuka Gongen's strength. The same way I do in..."

"In the TV World," Naoto finishes as she pushes away from the wall and adjusts her fog-proof glasses. The special lenses Teddie created are the only reason the three girls are able to see each other in the intense fog, even though they are right next to one another. "I felt the same. Yamato-Takeru's agility allowed me to evade it for as long as I did."

In the TV World the teenagers of the Investigation Team gain the power to summon physical manifestations of their personalities, Personas, to battle the Shadows. Even when a Persona is not outwardly manifested in that world, the group still draws on the strength of the cognitive beings to enhance their own physical abilities. This is what allows a young group of teenagers to battle monsters without the need to exhaust themselves keeping their Personas summoned constantly. For Chie and Naoto to feel a Persona's power in their bodies in the real world means it and the TV World are now no different from one another.

Yukiko looks troubled by this revelation. The girl's dark brown eyes are unfocused, and she strokes her black hair from the point of her red headband all the way down its considerable length.

"Then that really was a Shadow?" Yukiko asks. "Then this fog is..."

"It seems our time has run out," Naoto confirms.

The grim reality around them sets in for the red, green and blue trio. The team has failed. Adachi's prediction, the merger of the two worlds, has come true.

Simultaneous text notifications from all of the girls' phones snap them out of their stone-faced depression. The three share a look of surprise before they all check their phones at the same time.

"It's Yu-senpai. I called him earlier," Naoto says when they see their leader's instructions to meet at Junes. "I fear I left him with a poor impression of my current state."

Sure enough, Naoto receives a second text that Chie and Yukiko do not. The message asks if the detective is OK. Naoto sends a confirmation of her wellness back, then stows her phone and adjusts her hat over her short blue hair. Steel returns to the detective's blue eyes and banishes the despair that had begun to set in earlier. Around Naoto, Chie and Yukiko's determination flare back to life as well.

"Let's go."

* * *

 **Reach Out to the Truth**

* * *

Yosuke Hanamura and Teddie hit the ground.

After a fall from the second-story window of Yosuke's room the two would normally feel some pain, the reinforcement of their Personas lets the pair land on their feet with ease. Yosuke isn't really in a state of mind to notice that detail, though. In fact, despite the cold of the winter air and the fact that the teen didn't have a chance to grab his usual white jacket, which leaves him in just an orange v-neck shirt and dark green pants, he barely notices the temperature around him.

"What the hell happened to my dad, Ted!?" the shaggy-haired boy screams as he fumbles his orange-rimmed glasses on. Hanamura would have lost his head to a grasping hand of darkness had Teddie not yanked him back into his room from behind.

"He turned into a Shadow," the blue-eyed blond next to Yosuke says sadly as they run. None of Teddie's features are visible now, though, since the head of his bear-shaped mascot costume is currently thrown over his face. The Shadow boy needs the lenses in the eyes of his suit to see in the fog. The rest of the red, white and blue costume dangles behind Teddie as he runs with it under his arm. "This whole town smells of Shadows now. There are hardly any human scents at all."

The adrenaline rush keeps Yosuke on the move, but the ramifications of that statement are terrifying.

"Damn it!" the boy exclaims. All Yosuke feels like he can do now is curse. If people have turned into Shadows, just like Adachi said they would, then the Investigation Team is too late. That bastard won. "What do we do now?"

"We find Sensei, of course!" Ted says confidently, using his nickname for Yu. The blond also attempts to hop and run at the same time while he stuffs a leg into his costume. "He'll know what to do for sure!"

Yosuke is about to argue, the boy doubts even Yu will know what to do in this situation, but is cut off by a text from the man in question. The instructions are clear: meet at Junes and find a way to solve this problem.

"Ha! Way to go, partner!" Yosuke cheers. Even if Yu doesn't really know what to do either, the leader's take-charge attitude will do wonders for the the group's morale. It will be necessary for the teens to keep their minds together if they are going to get through this unprecedented crisis. "Let's go, Ted. This way!"

"Right behind you!" Teddie confirms. The bear managed to get his costume on fully while Yosuke stopped to check his message.

The boys don't get far on their new course before both are given pause by a woman's scream.

"Someone's still human out here?" Yosuke asks, shocked.

"I can smell a few," Teddie confirms. "The Shadows would normally leave them alone in the fog if they don't have a Persona, but I don't know how they're supposed to act in with the world as it is now. They could do anything."

"We have to help!"

Yosuke receives no argument, and the pair take off to a grassy patch near their home. The thickness of the fog makes it so that the duo has to be right on top of their targets before they see the Shadows, but the constant yells of a young child to "leave my mom alone" steer them in the right direction.

Before Yosuke and Teddie is a young woman with wavy brown hair, who wears a pink dress and purple coat. The woman stands in front of a young boy with her arms out to shield him from a trio of Shadows that encroach upon the pair's space. The black blobs seem intent on smashing them with their long, spindly arms.

Yosuke doesn't even think. A tarot card made of soft blue light fades into existence in front of the teen as he rushes forward, and in lieu of the knives he left behind at home Yosuke smashes it with his fist.

"Persona!"

Beside Yosuke the form of his Persona, Susano-o, flashes into existence. Surrounded by the faint blue glow of energy that all Persona share, Yosuke's looks like a lanky man wearing a light blue superhero jumpsuit with red gloves and boots. A metal band with numerous curved blades that stick straight out around the lower half surround Susano-o's face, and yellow-rimmed glasses sit where a human's eyes would be. The Persona's red hair sticks straight up in a twisting cone above it, as if constantly held up in a spiral of air. Around Susano-o's torso spins a wide metal ring with saw-like blades on its outer rim.

Despite the fact that nearly all Personas share names with figures from various human mythologies, their appearances are altered by the cultural impressions and personal desires of both the collective will of humanity and the individual summoner. This Susano-o is Yosuke's, and if another person in the world also ever happens to have Susano-o for a Persona they will no doubt have one that looks radically different.

The redheaded Persona goes to work immediately. Susano-o floats in the air beside its summoner as Yosuke runs, but then bursts forward at great speed. Unnatural power infuses the air around the Persona, causing the wind to glow bright green as it is forced to swirl around before Susano-o. When the Persona dashes through the line of Shadows that approach the humans, a mighty rush of wind buffets the creatures with great force. All three Shadows violently fly away into the fog.

"No problem!" Yosuke cheers with a snap of his fingers. Across the way, Susano-o begins to shed sparks of white and yellow light in an unusual manner before it fades back into its summoner's mind. A sudden rush of fatigue causes Yosuke to nearly trip over his own feet. "Woah, or not. That was way more tiring than it is in the TV World."

A Persona will mentally and physically exhaust the user when they tap into that power, but Yosuke is surprised to feel so tired after a single attack. The Investigation Team have all built up considerable stamina for Persona use through their adventures so far, but now Yosuke feels even more drained than he did the first time he summoned Jiraya, Susano-o's original form.

"We'll need to be careful," Teddie muses. "This new world might be affecting our Personas as much as it is the Shadows. They are the same thing, after all."

"Who's there?"

The woman's voice calls Yosuke's attention back to their reason for being here. The boy turns and expects to see the blob-shaped Shadows he buffeted away assume their true masked forms to do battle in, the way they always do in the TV World. Surprisingly, the Shadows do not attack again at all, and seem content to wander away in their current forms instead.

"You're safe now, ma'am," Yosuke eventually replies, after enough seconds have passed to be sure. The woman and child both look in the direction of his voice, but don't focus on him; without Teddie's special glasses, their sight is far more limited than Yosuke's right now.

"Thank you so much," the young mother says with tears in her eyes.

"Are you... a hero?" the boy asks into the fog with awe.

"You bet!" Teddie declares. The bear strikes a heroic pose that neither of the people can see. "We're part of an elite team that's going to defeat the villain that did this to the world!"

The boy is left speechless by how awesome that sounds to him, though his mother seems more confused than relieved.

"Listen, what's your name kid?" Yosuke asks. The teen steps close enough to be seen by the pair and kneels down to the child's height.

"Yuuta Minami. This is my mom Eri," the boy answers dutifully. In his mind he may as well be talking to a real-life Featherman at this point.

"Alright Yuuta, do you two have anyone else where you live? Other family, or friends staying over?"

"We don't, Yuuta's father is away at the moment," Eri answers for her son while she reaches out to hold him to her side protectively.

"Good. Your place should be safe, then. Go there and lock up. Wait until rescue comes or everything turns back to normal, OK?"

"You got it!" the boys declares.

"Thank you again," Eri says after she and Yuuta are eventually convinced to head out alone. Both Yosuke and Teddie want to escort the pair, but they have somewhere else to be.

"Sensei and the others are waiting," Teddie says with determination.

"Right."

Back into the fog they run.

* * *

 **Reach Out to the Truth**

* * *

"Are they locked up tight?" Rise asks when Kanji returns.

Rise Kujikawa pushes one of her two copper-colored pigtails back behind her shoulder after she turns toward the interior of Daidara Metalworks. The girl in the orange shirt has stood watch alone for the last few minutes and is relived to see her fellow freshman again.

After the fog appeared in this world, Rise used her Persona Kanzeon's ability to scan the area and keep track of nearby Shadows while she looked for any humans left in the small town. There were several, but only a small fraction of Inaba's full population. The old shopping district Rise and Kanji live in was full of Shadows until Kanji summoned Rokuten Maou to blow most of them away.

Kanji Tatsumi emerges from the back of Daidara's shop, still out of breath and with sweat on his brow. The bleached-blond boy ignores the severe exhaustion that the use of his Persona unexpectedly caused for the sake of the innocent bystanders who were almost swarmed. Fortunately, none of the Shadows Kanji attacked shifted into combat forms and were easy to drive away. The district was clear now, but the teen in the black jacket was nearly dead on his feet. Rise herself had to limit her scans with Kanzeon for the same reason. In fact, the idol was not only being tired out faster than usual, but her scan range also decreased drastically with each use.

"They'll be safe in there. It's practically a vault," Kanji answers, referring to both his mother and Rise's grandmother. The two women, along with Master Daidara, Old Lady Shiroku from the general store, and a small handful of others who had managed to not be turned into Shadows with the rest of the town, were currently in the blacksmith's storage room. Kanji and Rise figure they are still human because of their Personas, but don't have a clue about the others' ability to stay human. "Let's go meet up with our senpais already."

Rise nodds. Yu's text had been a relief to both of the Yasogami High first years, but they needed to delay their departure to ensure the safety of their families and the other innocents.

Rise watches Kanji heft up his round metal shield, the "piece of art" that Daidara named Black Targe after he crafted it. The weapon looks like a round steel shield with an eight-point starburst design, in the center of which is a golden spike. Rise doesn't point out that Kanji is being stubborn to lug such a heavy thing around when he's already tired. Unlike the others in the Investigation Team, Rise has no direct combat powers and relies on her support skills to contribute. If the pair do get attacked on the way to Junes, Kanji is the only one who can protect them.

 _'Don't worry Kanji,'_ the girl thinks as she follows behind the taller teen. _'No matter how tied I get, I'll scan with Kanzeon as often as I need to make sure you don't have to fight again before we get there.'_

* * *

 **Reach Out to the Truth**

* * *

"Ahahaha! This is great!"

Another Shadow descends upon Sho Minazuki. Like every other before it, the nameless entity is slaughtered mercilessly by the redheaded boy's twin swords. The battle-scarred teen doesn't hesitate to deal fatal blows to creatures that he knows were ordinary humans just minutes ago. Sho also doesn't allow any of the Shadows to flee from him alive. All Sho cares about now is the chance to kill his attackers.

 _"You are allowing yourself to be surrounded,"_ Minazuki's voice speaks within Sho's mind. The second personality sounds as calm as it always has.

"Who cares?" Sho demands with glee. The teen spins in place at the notice and lops off an extended black hand. "Let them come to me!"

Due to Sho's unnatural circumstances, the young man is not a person who can comfortably interact with others outside of deadly combat anymore. For Sho, a world where the people he can't connect to all become easy targets for his violent tendencies is far superior to the old world.

"That loser god wanted us to help him destroy the world, but now it's ending on its own! Sucks to be him!"

 _"You are in the most heavily-populated area of Inaba and have no means of seeing through this fog,"_ Minazuki reminds his other self. As always, Sho's safety is Minazuki's primary concern. _"You will tire and be overwhelmed if you do not change positions."_

"Like any of these worthless things can actually touch me," Sho counters as he passes between two Shadows and slices both in half as he does so. "I don't need to see them if they just charge mindlessly. Now stay out of this fight! I haven't gotten to enjoy myself like this in forever! Just watching those other kids play around with Shadows wasn't enough!"

 _"Very well,"_ the voice concedes, though Minazuki knows that he will intervene if necessary. Should Sho require the power of Minazuki's Persona to survive, the second personality will not hesitate to save the young man. Until then, the slaughter continues.

All the while, a malevolent presence gathers its strength to take advantage of the new situation.

* * *

 **Reach Out to the Truth**

* * *

 **[Persona 4 OST: Corridor]**

Yu watches in horror as Rangda dissolves in front of him. A burst of bright particles glitter in the air, all that remains of the Persona, then float away into the sky. Yu remains frozen for a few seconds until he can gather his resolve, then makes his way to one of the nearby tables to sit down and catch his breath.

Going back several minutes, the leader of the Investigation Team took it upon himself to clear out the meeting place he designated as their rally point. Yu made it to the Junes food court, then set out to drive away all of the Shadows crawling through that area of the department store.

Yu figured out early on that the Shadows no longer assume forms more suitable for battle, they are simply physical masses of black matter with red eyes now. The Shadows' assaults were all easily countered by Rangda's passive ability to repel the damage of physical strikes to its owner's human body back onto the attacker. This power allowed Yu to essentially stroll through Junes and let the Shadows force themselves away without a need to ever summon a Persona outside of himself.

After a few minutes of this strategy, Yu started to notice white sparks of power drift off of his form, and that he had lost his breath despite engaging in very little activity. Eventually, the Persona's ability to protect Yu automatically faded away entirely, which resulted in a nasty blow to the boy's armored midsection. Yu summoned Rangda's full form to force away the last few Shadows after that. The job is now done, but Yu's Persona completely evaporated before it returned to him. Now not only is Yu tired beyond belief, but he can no longer feel one of the Personas he readied for the battle with Adachi in his mind anymore.

Back in the present, Yu takes the time to recover his strength. The boy flinches when a soft thump sounds on the table he sits at. Grey eyes shoot open and meet an orange fox's stare.

Yu blinks in surprise, but then smiles in relief. The scarred animal who wears a small red apron with a pink heart pattern on it is basically another member of the Investigation Team, after all. The fox lives in the local shrine and provides the group with rare herbs that restore energy for their exploration of the TV World, in exchange for donations to the shrine.

Yu has never actually spoken to the fox out loud, even if it seems to mysteriously understand human language. The two share a connection that requires no words. Yu nods his thanks when the fox pushes a small leaf toward him with its nose.

 _'I guess it knows donations won't mean much if the world stays like this,'_ Yu thinks as he rubs the herbal remedy on his inexplicably tired muscles. The relief and energy come on quickly, but Rangda remains absent from the Wild Card's mind.

All Yu can do now is wait for his friends.

"Yu?"

"Marie?"

The young man shoots to his feet and turns to see Marie enter the food court. The pretty brunette looks slightly confused, and her Velvet Room cap and bag are both gone from her attire. Yu puts that observation aside for the moment and rushes to the lady's side.

Marie might have said why she was there, but her voice is stolen from her when Yu engulfs her in his arms. The boy wants to simply close his eyes and take comfort in his love's embrace, to press himself against her warmth and pretend everything will be alright. Both of the pair knows that would be wrong, though.

Marie places her hands on Yu's chest and pushes him back abruptly.

"Marie?" Yu asks, his confusion evident. The boy wondered what would become of Marie ever since the Velvet Room suspended its service to him. To find the girl alive and back in the world was a relief, but her rejection is a concern.

"I'm sorry. I can't."

Yu remains silent and asks Marie what she means with just his eyes when she finally looks up at him again.

"I... can't stay with the Nose anymore," the girl says, using her nickname for Igor. "I... I started to remember."

Marie's arms come up to hug herself as she shivers in disgust.

"I'm... I'm a monster."

"What do you mean, Emmy-chan?"

Teddie's sudden intrusion breaks through to both Yu and Marie's distracted minds. The two Velvet Room rejects turn to see the bear and Yosuke walk into the court.

"Hey partner," the other boy greets them. "I'm glad to see Marie-chan didn't turn into a Shadow either. Did you have to explain... well, all of this?"

Yosuke is understandably nervous. No one but Yu is aware their friend Marie has known about the Investigation Team's secret work all along.

"Never mind that!" Teddie interrupts. "Emmy-chan's not a monster! She's Emmy-chan! Sensei, don't let her say that anymore!"

Yu nods, but is quickly distracted by the arrival of more footsteps. All of the Investigation Team members who had yet to arrive walk into the food court together.

"Senpai!" Rise calls with forced cheer as she rushes forward. "We all made it!"

The group quickly exchanges sentiments of relief at their reunion, and Yu directs everyone to collect as much of the fox's herbs as they need to restore their stamina from the ravages of the trip. Throughout it all Marie inches away a bit at a time, but Yu's attention never leaves her long enough for the girl to think she could slip away unnoticed.

"The Persona I used to clear the Shadows out of here disappeared," Yu states with his trademark deceptive calm.

The Investigation Team has traded stories and worries about how much more it drains them to use their Persona's abilities now. Even Chie, who only used Suzuka Gongen's passive strength enhancement, was a little winded after she saved Naoto. Yu confirms it is worse than just Personas requiring more effort to summon or to use the abilities of: after enough use in this new world, a Persona will lose its power and then disappear entirely.

"Holy shit," Kanji eloquently provides.

"So if you didn't have more than one Persona, you'd be out of the fight right now?" Yosuke asks, horrified.

"How many do you have left?" Yukiko inquires after Yu somberly nods to his best friend. The team knows their leader has more potential Personas than they have ever counted, but they also know he can only hold so many in his mind at once.

"Eleven."

"So the rest of us need to be careful," Chie confirms. "If we get into a fight we'll probably have to rely on Yu's multiple Personas and just back him up when he needs us."

Talk of how to handle future battles inevitably leads the group to consider who they might have left to fight. Eventually, after the question of what to do is raised, Yu's grey eyes fall upon Marie once more and implore her to speak. The brunette slumps, but then walks over and takes a seat at the table with the rest of the team.

"So Marie-san already knew about the Shadows before today," Naoto says to begin the discussion. Most of the others simply look between Naoto and Marie with confusion in their eyes, expressions that beg the detective to elaborate on how she came to that conclusion. "Marie-san wasn't confused by our discussion about Personas, and the fact that she shows clear signs of sorrow but not fear indicates that she was already aware of the potential danger. Even if Yu-senpai explained the situation to her before we arrived, I doubt anyone not already in the know could accept this so quickly. Chie-senpai, Yukiko-senpai and I saw a few townspeople not transformed into Shadows on the way here. All of them were rightly terrified. Only we who knew about this possibility beforehand reacted with immediate despair."

"We saw Kou and Daisuke on the way over," Chie elaborates. "We weren't sure what to tell them, or how to explain not to follow us. I just hope they found a safe place to hold up in."

"Yeah, Teddie and I helped a mom and kid as well," Yosuke says.

"Ma and Rise's grandma are barricaded inside Daidara's with everyone who was left in the Shopping District," Kanji adds. "All of them were scared shitless."

"So, Marie-san, how is it that you knew about this?" Naoto asks to bring the discussion back to its root.

Marie is silent for a time as all eyes turn to her. The brunette can't meet any of their stares, she just looks at her hands as they rest on the table.

 **[Persona 4 OST: Reverie]**

"I knew all along. I'm... not human, like you guys."

"... are you a Shadow like me, Emmy-chan?" Teddie asks with awe after the group is silent for a few moments.

"No," the girl shakes her head. "I'm... not sure what to call what I am. Until now I was staying in the Velvet Room between visits to this world and trying to find my memories. But it's gone now."

"The Velvet Room is? That's the place where you put your Personas together or whatever, right partner?" Yosuke asks. Yu simply nods in return as he keeps most of his attention on Marie. The Investigation Team's members have a simple explanation of the Velvet Room, which they received from Yu early on, but none of them have ever seen it but their leader. "What do you mean it's gone?"

"I failed, so they can't help me anymore," Yu explains, his tone wooden. "And without them, I can't replace the Persona I lost."

"Don't give us that crap, Senpai!" Kanji rebukes their leader and slams a fist on the table. "This isn't your fault! We all agreed to wait until tomorrow to finish things!"

"Yeah, Sensei! If anyone is to blame it's gotta be Adachi-baby!"

"No, this isn't the doing of the serial killer you've all been chasing," Marie states. The girl's declaration halts the discussion and brings the attention back to her. "There's someone else. Something else. A creature that creates the fog. Do you remember fighting something called Kunino-sagiri?"

"That's the monster Namatame turned into," Rise recalls. The man's reaction to the TV World was unusual, just as it had been for Adachi and even Yu himself.

Normally, a person's inner Shadow will separate from the original and act on its own in that world. For Yu, he instead called out a Persona right away without the need to subdue and accept his Shadow first. When Adachi entered thre TV World, he seemed to become a part of it and could manipulate the space in a limited way. In Namatame's case, he became possessed by a number of Shadows at once and then physically transformed into a Shadow-like monster. At the time, Rise's Persona identified the transformed human's name as Kunino-sagiri.

"Yes. They're monsters connected to the fog. Another one is the source."

"How do you know about that?" Yukiko asks with curiosity.

"Because I'm like them. A fog monster."

Yu turns stiffly in his seat. The young man wants no more than to loudly deny Marie's words, but he can't interrupt her. Everyone senses the girl's hesitation, and no one wishes to scare her off.

"When this world became engulfed in the fog, it made me remember a little bit. I'm a... spy, I guess? I was given human form and used to find out what the wish of the people was, even if I didn't realize I was doing it."

"Humanity's wish? You don't mean... turning into Shadows?" Naoto probes, her mind racing with this new information.

"Yes," Marie confirms. "The fog lets people live in ignorance of others, turning humans into Shadows that only care about themselves and ignore everything else. At least, it's supposed to."

"But the Shadows aren't ignoring people, not even the ones without Personas like they did inside the TV," Yukiko reminds everyone with a curious tone. "Why is that happening?"

Marie shakes her head. The answer to that discrepancy is unknown to her.

"I don't remember anything else yet, or know anything we can do to change it. The fog has already begun to completely cover the world outside of Inaba as well. It's too late for anyone to stop it now."

The Investigation Team is quiet. The teens gathered together here like they always have and tried to act as they normally would while thinking the problem through, mostly to keep morale up, but the weight of reality presses down on them again now. The world is already in the middle of a change it might not be able to come back from.

"I don't accept that."

Yu rarely talks when the team gathers, but his words always have weight. Even Marie tears her eyes away from the table to look his way when the young man speaks.

"Senpai's right!" Rise agrees loudly. "Everyone was supposed to turn into Shadows, right? Well, my grandmother didn't! Kanji's mom didn't either! It isn't just people with Personas who didn't change!"

Yu nods. Rise's words remind everyone of the hope that remains. Everyone exchanges looks of determination. The Investigation Team are still the Seekers of Truth, and the truth still remains hidden in the fog. As long as the friends don't give up on each other, they are motivated to keep looking for an answer to this crisis.

Inside the Wild Card, the power of the Judgement Arcana swells.

"Why, though?" Yosuke wonders. "What's the reason they stayed human if it doesn't have to do with having a Persona? Could the answer help us?"

The answer comes not from one of the gathered friends, but from an older voice none of them expect to hear.

 **[End Track]**

"I'll tell you why. It's because brats like you lot are determined to ruin everything for everyone, that's why."

The Investigation Team collectively leap to their feet at the sound. A lanky man stands on the ledge of the food court's outer wall, his back to the fog-covered town, and sneers at the teenagers with disdain. The unkempt adult wears a dark work suit and red tie while he grips a pistol in his right hand.

This is the man that the Investigation Team failed to apprehend in time to save the world: Tohru Adachi.

 **[Persona 4 OST: Borderline of Madness]**

"You!" Kanji yells right before he grabs the Black Targe and leaps at the serial murderer he hunted for most of the year.

Adachi scoffs before he raises his weapon and fires off a shot at his attacker. Kanji recognizes the danger mid-jump and moves his shield in front of him. The unnaturally powerful force of the bullet Adachi fires causes the teenager's teeth to rattle even as the shield absorbs the impact. Meanwhile, the shooter's balance on the thin rail shows no disruption whatsoever from his own attack. Kanji's entire body is thrown back in the air and crashes into the table the team is gathered around. The tall boy is quickly picked back up by Yukiko and Chie after they call his name in surprise.

Adachi makes no move to continue an assault, so Yu seizes control and steps forward to keep the attention of both sides on himself. The Blade of Totsuka's hilt digs into the boy's unnaturally tight grip while he looks at Adachi with as calm an expression he can muster. Despite the effort, Yu's facade of stoicism isn't very believable.

"And here's the number one problem child," Adachi says with scorn. Gone is the man's mockery from the TV World, now the older man just looks pissed.

"Adachi-san..."

"What? Gonna cry about losing? Because I'm not really interested in hearing it."

Behind Yu, the rest of the Investigation Team forms up into a wider half-ring around their enemy. Each one is prepared to risk the loss of their Persona if it becomes necessary. Rise who takes up the rear position for support, while Marie and the fox take cover further within Junes.

"... is this really the world you wanted?" Yu asks as calmly as he can. The boy understands that his bond with Adachi has changed for the worse, but it is still hard to believe the older man desired this outcome.

Adachi grits his teeth so hard it must hurt.

"Of course not!" the cop replies with venom. "Because even now other people just won't let me enjoy myself!"

"What the hell are you talking about!?" Yosuke demands.

"Do you kids even understand how great it would be to live in pure ignorance?" Adachi asks with a quieter but more contemptible tone. The man holds his left arm up in a gesture back toward the town that can't be seen behind him. "Every day in the old world people would go around putting up with a reality that they couldn't change but couldn't ignore either. How much better would it be if everyone were Shadows? We could all just believe whatever we wanted and ignore everything else. It would be awesome if everyone's life could be that easy."

"Nobody wants that, you dumbass!" Chie retorts with fury.

"Oh yeah? Then where did most of Inaba go, little girl? Are you hiding them?"

Chie snarls but bites her tongue to keep from taking Adachi's bait.

"The fact remains that several people did not become Shadows as you predicted," Naoto answers instead. The detective's loud but calm voice cuts through the rampage of emotions in the assembled group "Could it be that the ones who remain are those who have the strength and support necessary to face and accept reality as it is?"

Yu thinks of all the people of Inaba that he grew close to over the past year. Each of what Igor called Yu's Social Links managed to accept a greater truth about themselves and the world over the time he spent with them, and they all became better people for it. The teen is sure that his friends are all still alive out there, and in need of help.

"Yeah," Adachi confirms. "And because of people like that, this paradise has turned into hell."

"Do you know why the Shadows are acting funny?" Teddie demands. "They never attacked people while the fog was around in my old world!"

"Yeah, it's because there aren't supposed to _be_ any humans in this world anymore," Adachi sneers. "Their presence is an anomaly, and with everyone freaking out and running around scared the Shadows can't get any peace at all. Everything's been ruined."

All of the teens flinch when a sharp note splits the air. After the Investigation Team blinks their eyes clear they are greeted by the sight of Adachi surrounded by a foreboding blue aura. The man's eyes now glow yellow like an untamed Shadow's.

"None of you annoyances are wanted in this new world!" Adachi angrily cries. The criminal's voice is slightly distorted and his body language has become far more hunched and wild.

"Speak for yourself!" Yukiko yells back in defiance. "If being alive is too painful for you the answer isn't to kill everybody else!"

"Living alone is what makes life difficult for humans," Naoto confirms. "Running from that like a coward while clinging to your ego like a child... you're the source of all your own troubles."

"Sh-shut up! You stupid teenagers are going to keep denying it even when I've already proved most people agree with me? You're the abnormal ones here!"

"Even now," Yosuke grinds out. "With the world ending all around us, you still can't think of anyone but yourself. You really are nothing but a worthless criminal!"

"Ngh," Adachi groans. The murderer's aura flares and black mist begins to pulse around his body. The detective holds his head and writhes on the spot. "Aaaaarrgh!"

 **[Persona 4 OST: A New World Fool]**

The dark fogs washes out from Adachi in a blast that forces the Investigation Team to cover their faces. When the blackness clears the group watches as the deranged criminal steps forth onto the food court floor with a deceptively calm gait but a manic grin on his face. The aura around the man can no longer be seen, but his eyes remain yellow and everyone present still feels the pressure of his power as it washes over them.

"You guys are nothing but a plague in the world now," Adachi announces with the same deranged voice. "I'm going to get rid of all of you!"

"That bastard!" Rise curses from the back. The former idol summons Kanzeon behind her. The Persona takes the form of a tall feminine body clothed in black and white vertical stripes, but with an extensive satellite array for a head. Kanzeon's hands place a red visor over Rise's eyes which gives the girl her scan data. Even if Rise knows she shouldn't keep Kanzeon around for the entire fight as she normally would, the girl still intends to get what information she can about Adachi at the start. "We can't lose, no matter what!"

Rise's Persona allows her to project her voice into the others' minds. Yu quickly uses Kanzeon's power as a hub to distribute tactical orders as usual, though this time it is a general battle plan rather than individual tactics since their time with Kanzeon's connection is limited. The team accepts the expected orders to let Yu take up the vanguard with his more expendable Persona stock and ready themselves for opportunities to intervene.

Yu grips the Blade of Totsuka in both hands at his right side, ready to act, when Adachi makes an unexpected move. The criminal bends over and grabs both sides of his head like he's in terrible pain. When the man rears back up and screams out, a bright red light erupts around him and a familiar shape appears in the air above.

 _'Izanagi?!'_

The manifestation certainly bears the same shape as Yu's first Persona. A male body garbed in a long, open coat and a full head mask made of steel, wielding a naginata with a peculiar knife-like blade. The similarities end there, though. The creature that takes shape above Adachi is completely stained with red corruption. The sheer malice the thing exudes is enough to make the Investigation Team collectively take a step back.

The red Izanagi lookalike hoists up the naginata it holds in a reverse grip in front of it, then grasps it with both hands before it plunges down to stab the blade into the floor. The force of the impact causes Yu to stumble slightly before the sound of uncountable sword swings fills the air in every direction.

 _'Invisible slashes!'_

Narukami and the rest of the gang within Adachi's range are battered by unseen blades. Yu is fortunate among them since he is one of the few who had the chance to bring some protective gear with him, but all of the teens ultimately have to rely on the gifted superhuman endurance of their Personas to avoid their flesh being cut open several times. The power of the team's other selves keeps their bodies, and clothes, intact. This protection is one of the reasons the team never needed to explain any unfortunate injuries or ruined uniforms throughout the year. Taking an attack still costs the group in pain and stamina, though, especially now.

In the aftermath of the assault, every one of the Investigation Team leak out the telltale sparks they now understand to be a Persona's power as it leaves them. This confirms that defense also eats away at the time a Persona has left. Even Rise loses more of Kanzeon while she attempts to interpret what just happened.

"A Persona!?" Rise asks incredulously. The support player allows Kanzeon to fade away for the moment to preserve her. Rise is left to stare wide-eyed at the battlefield the food court is about to become. "But that can't be!"

 _'It can,'_ Yu thinks. The leader now regrets the loss of Rangda's protection from physical attacks even more than before. _'And it's worse than that, too.'_

As Yu watches, Adachi regains his composure. Whatever unusual pain the man goes through to summon his Persona, he doesn't look the least bit exhausted from the act. Yu doesn't observe any of the sparks of power leave Adachi or his Persona either. Whatever unknown affliction eats away at the Investigation Team, it has spared their enemy.

Yu calmly faces down Adachi's crazed grin and raises his blade once more. The Wild Card brings the Persona Cerberus to the forefront of his mind and steps forth.

The battle for the old world begins.

* * *

 **Reach Out to the Truth**

* * *

 **[Persona 4 OST: Mayonaka TV]**

"What is this?" asks a grey-haired figure in a Moel Gas Station uniform. The androgynous person is completely unperturbed by the fog and Shadows that now encompass the town and, soon enough, the entire globe. The anomaly strolls through the obscured Inaba as if the vision of their red eyes is perfectly clear. "What drives the Shadows to lash out as they are?"

Two of the mastermind's players may be in battle against each other elsewhere, but the game has already been decided. A conflict between leftover pieces has no true consequence. The figure's concern now is the abnormal behavior the Shadows have begun to show, even more so than the unexpected presence of humanity that still lingers within the fog. The theory that Adachi believes to be true, that those human remnants are the cause of the aggression, is known to the inhuman creature, but it is certain there is more to it than that.

"There is another power at work here."

Whatever force seeks to usurp the will of humanity, the desire to live in blissful ignorance as Shadows, must be eliminated. First, the unknown power that drives the Shadows to violence. Second...

... the few needlessly defiant humans who still remain.

* * *

 **Reach Out to the Truth**

* * *

 **[Persona 4 OST: A New World Fool]**

The very air trembles when Adachi's Persona and Cu Chulainn, the white-armored representation of the Irish folk hero that Yu summons, deal simultaneous death blows to one another. The black-haired knight's spear pierces the red Persona's heart, but so too does its naginata blade embed itself in Cu Chulainn's chest. Adachi's manifestation fades in a flash of the usual blue aura that marks a Persona's departure, but Yu's explodes in a burst of yellow fragments. Without Rangda's perfect defense against physical trauma, Cu Chulainn's especially high resistance to it had been the next best thing. Now, after minutes of combat, that power has been worn out as well.

The backlash of the loss knocks the teenager off his feet. Yu feels his back strike the floor and pushes his momentum into a backward roll to get back up and in position. The boy grits his teeth in pain and reaches up his left hand to crush the faint blue tarot card that appears in the air at his mental command. Another Persona shifts into prominence in the boy's mind.

"Surt!"

The tall fire giant Persona emerges behind Yu, and its bare black skin glows red with an inner furnace. The long sword wreathed in flames that Surt wields is pointed at the sky, but the Persona quickly leans over its summoner to smash the weapon down onto the enemy in front of it.

Yu feels the wave of intense heat wash back over him when his vision is filled with orange flames, and only Surt's innate protection from fire spares him from suffering the backlash of his own attack. The Wild Card isn't foolish enough to believe that Adachi is defeated yet, but is still surprised when the detective appears directly in front of him through the flames so quickly and plants a foot in his gut. Surt's power must have already waned more than expected.

Yu stands his ground and Surt vanishes as the boy swings his sword in an upward slash in front of him. The surprising agility of the detective allows him to evade the Blade of Totsuka, spin on his heel, and bring his gun up and under the teenager's chin.

"Susano-o!"

Yosuke's Persona slides across the floor at high speed, accelerated by a stream of green wind around it. Adachi's arm is knocked aside by the Persona as he fires. On Susano-o's other side, Yosuke is also dragged along by his Persona. The boy reaches out to snag his partner's arm as they pass, which pulls Yu away from the enemy.

Adachi growls in annoyance and prepares to give chase when another voice yells from behind him.

"I am thou!" Yukiko calls. Without a battle fan on hand to break her tarot card, the girl does the job with an open hand slap instead.

Amaterasu spins into existence by the young beauty, a bald female body made entirely of golden light. The Persona's wrists are linked together by a chain that hangs behind it, and from which a wing-like wreath of straight blades extends down along the length. Amaterasu holds a katana in one hand and its empty scabbard in another, both obscured by the large steel flower-shaped guards over its forearms.

Several globes of fire burn into existence around Amaterasu. In the next instant, each flame takes off in a variety of curved paths that all congregate on the detective's position. The bombardment turns that section of Junes into a field of powerful explosions that rock the integrity of the building and fill the Investigation Team's ears with clamor. Adachi disappears in the conflagration.

Yukiko relied on her Persona's immunity to fire to get behind Adachi when Surt attacked, and Yosuke used his Persona's speed to pull their leader out of this surprise attack's path. The impromptu plan was hashed together the last time Rise briefly linked the team's minds, before her Persona was banished to preserve it.

Yukiko would normally hold fast in the face of the hot wind that sears by her and sends her hair into a wild flutter. Unfortunately, as all of the girl in red's companions have also done in this battle so far, she buckles at the knees after only a few seconds of composure. The strain of full combat is nearly unbelievable.

Yu thanks Yosuke with a nod and gulps down one of the energy-restoring medicines that the team collected over time in the TV World. Yu might be able to fight longer than the others due to his numerous Personas, but he still feels just as tired out by their use as his friends do from their own. Adachi still shows no signs of fatigue, and Yu knows he needs to rush back to capture the enemy's attention before the man turns on Yukiko. The Wild Card switches to a new Persona to preserve what's left of Surt and runs back into the fray.

"You kids are all losing your bite," Adachi observes after he walks out of the black smoke that rises from the area Yukiko bombed. The detective pats some stray dust off his suit dismissively. "Are you still not ready to admit that this world has rejected your naive beliefs?"

Adachi meets Yu's rush with a clash of his pistol against the teen's sword, then yells in self-inflicted pain again as a bright red light signals the emergence of the criminal's Persona. Yu leaps backward to avoid a horizontal naginata slash, but is left open to a couple of rounds fired from Adahi's gun when he does. The painful impacts against the Persona-reinforced surcoat are almost enough to make the team's leader black out on the spot.

The Investigation Team is going to lose.

Yu hates the thought of a loss to Adachi, but switching to different Personas doesn't replenish the exhaustion each one causes him. In addition, every time the other members of the team move in a big enough group to launch an effective attack pattern of their own, Adachi's Persona unleashes a wall of flame or wind to drive them out of formation. Everyone is tired and hurt, and worst of all none of them know if this battle will accomplish anything even if they do win. Anger at Inaba's serial murderer pushes the team on, but their faith in the future is what they really want to fight for right now.

"Bearsona!"

Teddie sacrifices more of his Persona's power to heal Yu of some physical strain. Kamui has an inanimate spherical body with a smiling face on its center and two short hands and feet above and below it, trailed by a long red cape. The toy-like manifestation sends a wash of bright energy Narukami's way that soothes the injured boy before it vanishes. Yu's body can be forced to keep up the fight for a while longer through Persona healing abilities like Kamui's, but the mental strain of their use has limited means of recovery, especially in the middle of a pitched battle. Worse still, with each use all of the team's powers grow weaker.

"Persona!"

Chie runs by the side of the detective to draw the man's attention away for a heartbeat. Yu crushes another intangible card and Melchizedek manifests above Adachi to seize the opportunity provided. The completely armored angel with steel wings immediately shoots down with a powerful fist to smash the detective into the ground. The food court's floor breaks beneath the human with a thunderous crack. It appears to be a decisive blow.

To everyone's shock, when Yu's Persona fades Adachi stands right back up.

"It's over," Adachi says with a renewed grin. Another scream and the foe's crimson Persona flashes into existence. The Investigation Team, desperate to land a final blow, had each rushed in to try a risky all-out attack together when Yu managed to knock their enemy down. If Rise was able to maintain contact between the group as she usually did they would have waited for their leader's signal before they tried such a maneuver, but that isn't the case with Kanzeon's constant erosion at risk. Now Adachi's quick recovery leaves all of the teens flatfooted within the man's attack range at the same time, which Yu had directed the team to avoid after the painful start of the battle.

The naginata stabs down and the air is filled with the sound of blades once more.

* * *

 **Reach Out to the Truth**

* * *

 **[Persona 4 OST: Corridor]**

It isn't until Yu feels the hot barrel of a gun poke into his forehead that the boy realizes he lost consciousness. Adachi squats over the leader of the Investigation Team triumphantly and holds his weapon with a steady hand. The criminal's eyes have returned to normal, Yu notes, but that doesn't mean Adachi is any less dangerous now.

"You kids have ruined this world for me," Adachi says with an unexpected calm. The man doesn't grin like a madman or sneer in hatred anymore, he just looks down on Yu with casual contempt.

The boy can hear his team stir and groan around the food court, but none stand or speak. The protection of the group's Personas fades with every bit of damage taken, and now none of them can handle Adachi's attacks anymore.

The Investigation Team has lost.

"Adachi-san..."

"I told you," Adachi interrupts. The man presses the barrel of his pistol painfully into Yu's forehead. "I don't want to hear any whining from the losers."

"... we told you already. You're the source of your own troubles."

"Still talking shit at a time like this? Those aren't exactly the greatest last words, you know? Then again, you always were a bit of a space case, Yu-kun."

"We didn't ruin this world for you. You did."

"Still blaming me for the problems with reality, huh? How exactly do you figure that?"

It amazed Yu how much clarity could be found in defeat. When the teen faced Adachi's appearance with high emotions, and then faced the man again in heated combat, there wasn't a lot of opportunity for clear thought. Here at the end of his rope, however, Yu realizes a fact that is incredibly strange.

"You didn't turn into a Shadow."

Adachi has no immediate response to Yu's observation. The detective keeps his weapon on the boy's head but stares down with blank, uncertain eyes.

"I see. You said you wanted everyone to live in blissful ignorance," Naoto's weak voice reminds Adachi from somewhere off to the side. Neither the criminal nor his hostage stir from their stare down, though. "Yet when the opportunity came, you yourself have chosen to face reality."

"You gotta be kiddin' me," Kanji's half-delirious tone remarks from another direction. "After sayin' all that crap, he still can't even go through with his own words?"

"Could it be..." Rise wonders. The redhead kneels next to Chie and helps the brunet sit up straight. The battle is lost and the idol shows no fear of being put in harm's way now. Rise must be resolved to fall by her friends' sides. "... that you actually wanted us to stop you?"

Adachi's jaw must ache from how hard he bites down on his own teeth.

"Stop trying to twist things around!"

"You watched people die for your own petty entertainment, but while doing so you saw how we could face reality by being together," Naoto continues, unhindered. "Deep down, maybe you wished you could have lived like us instead of the way you always had."

Yu and Adachi both stay silent at the accusation, and the rest of the team follow suit. No one is sure when the deathblow will come for them, or how their foe will react to the provocation. All the teens have left is the resolve to figure out the truth, even now.

The quiet of the foggy department store is broken by Adachi. A series of weak chuckles rumble out from the detective's throat, then escalate into full laughter. No one interrupts, and when Adachi's humorless fit ends the eyes that turn back to meet Yu's again have turned morose.

"That's ridiculous," the murderer asserts without any force. Yu is surprised by the sight when Adachi looks to the side in uncertainty. "But maybe I did wonder once or twice..."

The pistol leaves Yu's forehead and hangs down by the floor.

"... if things might have gone differently if I had been more like you."

The confession isn't much, and it doesn't help anyone save the world from the calamity that has befallen it, but Yu can sense the man's sincerity. The young man can't help but feel he finally understands Adachi.

Inside the Wild Card, the power of the Hunger Arcana swells.

"Adachi-san, you need to face the punishment for your crimes."

The murderer isn't the only one present who is surprised by the next words out of Yu's mouth. The team is still entirely at Adachi's mercy, after all. To piss the killer off now might be suicide.

"That can't happen in this new world. So help us take the old one back. Uncle Dojima and I... will help you learn how to live in it."

Adachi laughs again, this time with less resentment in his heart.

"Damn teenagers, they think they know all the answers to life," Adachi grumbles as he stands up straight. Yu watches the criminal step out from over him, then winces in pain when Adachi plants a sharp kick into his ribs. "Well? You gonna just lie there!?"

Yu forces himself to sit up and rub his side while he watches Adachi retreat to a section of the food court that wasn't totally ruined in the battle. None of the other members of the Investigation Team can do much more.

"Since you have all the answers I'm just dying to hear how you plan to save the world," Adachi calls back. The man adds a tone of mockery to the last part of his statement, but he also pointedly avoids any chance for the others to see his face. "Hurry up and get back on your feet."

Adachi vanishes into the fog, too far away to be seen even with Teddie's glasses. The Investigation Team pulls themselves together shortly afterwards and happily welcome the fox's return with more of its herbs. The team's energy and strength will be restored now, at least.

Marie helps Yu to his feet as well and keeps a tight hold on her lover's arm once he is up. Yu doesn't say anything or draw any special attention to himself while the others patch themselves up and discuss what just happened, specifically how unbelievable it is; the young man just lets Marie hold him for a while and waits for the tears in her eyes to dry up.

"Almost dying after all this time... stupidjerkIhateyoudon'tdothatanymore."

Yu's close brush with death might have forced aside any thoughts Marie had of distancing herself from her love, but both of them also understand a sad truth. The serial murderer is no longer the one the team needs to defeat, and now they are all weaker for the battle ahead. Only one person the group knows of has a Persona that isn't crippled by the nature of this new world.

The Investigation Team's last hope for the future of humanity... is Tohru Adachi.

* * *

 **Chapter End**

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

 **The second part of the introduction concludes here.**

 **Adapting the Adachi scenes from the game into this new context was fun. Hopefully the finale of the introduction arc will live up to any expectations.**

 **Sincerely,**

 **Captain Bell**


End file.
